About Me

I LOVE BUCKING HORSES!
I love sunsets, beautiful blessings we receive everyday!
I love the smell of a fresh rain over the sagebrush! I LOVE to tell stories & share my journey with others! LOVE https://www.facebook.com/LittleRedRoan

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Starting and Training Cowdogs with Rodney Hopwood Clinic

This
past weekend, I had the privilege to attend the “Starting and Training Ranch Dog Clinic
with Rodney Hopwood” at the Martiny Ranch.
What a great weekend with family and friends! I tried to soak up as much
knowledge as my little brain could hold.
Today, I’m going to share a glimpse of my notes, and a few of tips I
picked up throughout the day. THANK YOU
so much to Rodney for sharing his knowledge and patience with any question.

"Woodrow going to the head"
Photo Courtesy of Tracy Krekeler

I will be very honest with you…..until my dog (Woodrow) stepped into the “Work Pen” I wasn’t listening like I should have
been. Well, the second we entered the “Small
Pen”, and I realized that I needed most of the training to stay out my dog's way….my
hearing improved immensely.

Here are a few pictures of Woodrow in action bring some calves back to me. That's right...I have a cute lil' Head Dog!

Photo Courtesy of Tracy Krekeler
One on One with
Woodrow (applicable to STARTING most Cow Dogs)
* Set up situation like the small pen.
Small area, gentle cattle, tight fence. ~ Get SMOOTH

*Work on stopping or downing Woodrow.
Maybe can use the palm of your hand held out as a cue to STOP (Woodrow is a Corgi so we will probably just Stop instead of Down)
* Commands: Keep individual commands.
Don’t use the same command for multiple meanings

Stop or Down

Left/Right

Bite

That will do (completion command)

*Work to the outside of the fence
*Stay to the perimeter of the fence initially.
Build confidence and get them comfortable close to the fence.

Every win builds confidence.
Let your dog win. When you give
them a job, don’t take it away.

*Owner needs most of the training to get
out of Woodrows way ;)

Now that my ears had been opened, I started taking much better notes and asking questions!

Class watching work in the "small pen"

Here are some Key Points to Remember:* Keep your dog locked up: Tie up or
kennel your dog unless you are working them.
When you let them out, your dog should be dragging you to that work pen. They
will be thinking about working and listening better when they haven’t been
running loose with no control.

* Good Manners: Having a basic
handle on your dog such as not jumping up on people and being broke to lead with basic handle.

* Down or Stop: It is key to have some "Whoa" on your dog. Whether you use a “Down” or a “Stop” command you need to be able
to control your dogs actions.*Don’t
“cheap shot”. Don’t allow your dog to
cheap shot bite your cattle. It gives
mixed signals to your cattle. When
cattle are moving, don’t let your dog nip at them down the alley way. When they are moving you should give relief
and that rewards & trains your livestock for good behavior.
Also, when you curb the cheap shots your dog should bite harder and more
deliberate when they do bite.

*
Commands: Keep individual commands. Don’t
use the same command for multiple meanings. Here are some command examples:
Stop or Down
Left/Right
Bite
"That will do" ~ Rodney also uses a completion command when he is done working his dog for the day.
* Balance: Move to one side or the other to cue your dog where you want them to go. You are striving to achieve BALANCE. Get
on the other side of the stock to stop the movement of the
cattle. Work until you find your balance. It will vary for each dog.

* Give your Dog a JOB:

Give your dog a job and let him do it. Give him a job for the day that will benefit
what you are trying to do.

Put him on the back and give him a job. Whatever job you give him, let him do it and don't take it away.

Sorting in the Small pen
with Tracy Krekeler

Start in a Small Pen: ( Tools~ sorting stick, about a 15ft rope on your dog, about 300 lb dairy calves)
Set up situation like the small pen.
Small area, gentle cattle, tight fence. ~ Get SMOOTH
Small pens allows for you to put pressure on your dog and they can figure out
where to move. The snow fence or whatever
you use to make your pen solid allows you to apply pressure without your dog
running out of the pen and developing bad habits of aborting the task.

Small pen should be closed in so a dog can’t get out. Work to the outside of the pen. Work keeping your dog in between you and
fence. Teaching to go into corners. Not letting them go out of the alley, bad
habit or weakening.

Rodney helping Tracy Krekeler work her dog in the small pen.

Big Pen Work: (Tools: Sorting stick and about a 25ft rope on your dog)
Move to one side or the other to cue your dog where you want them to go.
You are striving to achieve BALANCE. Get
on the other side of the stock to stop the movement of the
cattle.

Rodney works one of his young dogs and explains BALANCE in the Big Pen.

Student working in the Big Pen

Practicing working the perimeter and finding balance in the big pen

"Every win builds confidence. Let your dog win. "Rodney Hopwood

Outside or real large pen:
Showing how you would work outside or trailing cows. Implementing all the tools learned in
the smaller pens. Seasoned dogs will learn where to be and not waste
steps. For example, Once calf committed to come back to the herd the dog pulled up and gave relief.

Thank you so much to the Hopwood Border Collies and the Martiny Ranch for a great Cowdog Training Clinic! The hospitality was 2nd to none. Thank you for traveling the gypsy trail with me today! Hope you enjoyed our travels together. ~ Mindy